Washing or scrubbing device with oscillating scrubbing member having a vertical component of motion



WASHING OR SCRUBBING .DEV'ICE WITH OSCILLATING SCRUBBING MEMBER HAVING A VERTICAL COMPONENT OF' MOTION Filed Sept. 13, 1952 1 Nov. 13, 1956 R R WALTON A 2 770,118

2 Sheets-Sheet 1v Nov. 13, 1956 R. WALTQN 2,770,118

WASHING OR SCRUBBING .DEVICE WITH OSCILLATING SCRUBBING MEMBER HAVING A VERTICAL COMPONENT OF' MOTION Filed Sept. 13, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In ven tw', Rzfczard R Ww Etwa,

nited States WASHING R SCRUBBING DEVICE 1'- s OSCIL- LATING SCRUBBING MEMBER HAVING A VERTICAL COMPONENT 0F MOTIGN 1s claims. (ci. ss-2s) My invention relates to washing machines and is more particularly concerned with a novel washer having an improved washing action and which, in one preferred embodiment, comprises an inexpensive, compact, portable unit adapted to be set in and to wash clothes or other articles efficiently in existing wash-basins or tubs of whatever size or shape.

Washing machines now being marketed for home use are, so far as I am aware, all complete self-contained units, including a tub for holding the water and clothes. The fully automatic models include water inlet and drain connections and pumps and automatic devices for controlling the washing operations with a minimum of attention from the operator. But such machines are costly and beyond the means of many people. Also both manually controlled and fully automatic washers are bulky and none of them could properly be called portable for convenient transportation and storage. Ano-ther fault with many washing machines now on the market is the fact that they do not wash the clothes eiciently. Furthermore, in many of them the action is of such a nature or so vigorous as to be likely to damage the articles being washed, so that garments of delicate materials must be washed separately by hand.

From studies made of clothes washing it has been learned that perhaps the most eilicient washing action, as well as the gentlest on the clothes, is that performed by the hands of a laundress. In washing clothes by hand, a single garment or portion of a garment is operated upon at a time. Thus each item is washed separately. The washing action itself involves a combination of bending and rolling of a portion of the garment between the iingers or on a washboard, with squeezing the suds through the material with the hands while rubbing the surfaces against the hands or against a washboard or against each other. It should be evident that modern washing machines do not even attempt to duplicate this action. Those machines which employ a revolving cylinder for tumbling the clothes operate upon all the garments at once, not individually, usually tangling them7 while at the same time treating them very roughly and, at most, performing only the rubbing and to some small extent the bending operation which would be performed by hand, but not a combination of the rolling, rubbing, and squeezing. On the other hand, the other most common type of conventional clothes washer, having a rotationally oscillating agitator at the bottom center of the tub, merely agitates the clothes in soapy water with some rubbing and squeezing of one garment against the other. While in many such machines the action is gentler than in the tumbling type and there may be less tangling, nevertheless all the garments are acted upon at once and repeated ilexing and squeezing are wholly absent.

Many existing washers, other than the tumbling type, also employ a current of water for additionally agitating the clothes. This type of machine depends for successful operation upon a particular configuration of the tub, often including fins and baes so that the currents of soapy water and rinse water will act in the desired direction.

atent G Necessarily, therefore, all of these machines must be provided with their own tubs, thereby adding to the expense and bulkiness of the equipment.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel washing unit whose washing action more nearly approximates that performed by hand than any present washing machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clothes washer which, because it will operate irrespective of the size or shape of tub in which it is disposed, is adaptable for use either in a machine having its own tub or as a portable unit to be set by the user in any available washbasin, sink, bathtub, or convenient container.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a clothes washing unit of the type described which in its portable form is inexpensive, conveniently small in size, light in weight, and shaped for easy storage or for carrying with the traveler for use in overnight accommodations.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel clothes washing unit in which the washing action is gentle yet thorough and in which the moving parts cannot become entangled in and tear the garments being washed.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved clothes washer which will wash efflciently with a high ratio of clothes to water, thereby permitting the handling of a considerable number of articles even in a small basin and conserving hot water.

A still further object of the invention isv to provide a novel washer of the type described which has a selective action in operating on individual areas of each garment separately and which effectively prevents tangling of the articles with each other.

With the foregoing and other objects which will hereinafter become apparent in view, the invention is featured by the provision of a simple and inexpensive washer assembly which, in portable form, is adapted to be carried about and set in any convenient container and plugged into any convenient electrical outlet or, in a permanent installation, to be mounted in a suitable tub, for .exe ample, in a semi or fully automatic machine. The novel washer unit comprises a hollow perforated clothes engaging member adapted to be at least partial-ly submerged in the liquid in the container, a drive for reciprocating this member generally vertically and a pump for withdrawing liquid from the interior of such member and forcing it outwardly over one end of such member into the container. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the clothes engaging member surrounds a drive shaft driven by an electric motor and is reciprocated by a spiral cam arrangement on the shaft. The shaft also drives the pump which may be an impeller keyed to its lower end near the bottom of the container or a force pump moving with the washer member. The outer Vsurface of the perforated member on each down stroke rubs any garments in contact therewith, exes the same and tends to push them downwardly toward and eventually into the outwardly moving stream in the bottom of the container to be whirled thereby away from the washing member. The action of the impeller or pump is such as to exhaust the liquid from within the hollow perforated member, causing surrounding liquid to cascade through the perforations, thereby drawing the clothes toward the perforated member. Consequently, the special result of drawing the clothes toward and squeezing them against the reciprocating washer member occurs quite independently of the size or shape of the container in which the washing is done, since it is not effected by the output stream of the impeller but rather by suction at the input side of the impeller. The garments being washed are, therefore, selectively scrubbed by the surface of the Washer member, bent and rolled as they are tucked downwardly during its down stroke, and squeezed against the surface of the washer member by the force of the liquid cascading through the openings therein and eventually swirled outwardly by the stream from the pump. The washing operation thus achieved closely approximates that performed by hand.

Still other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts in the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation with parts broken away and partly in section illustrating a portable embodiment of my novel clothes washer set in a tub;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view with portions broken away of the same, omitting the tub;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross section of a modified form of washer in which a reciprocating pump is substituted for a rotating impeller for moving the water outwardly at the bottom and a wire basket comprises the perforated washer member;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of still another form of the invention in which an annular rubber ring is substituted for suction cups for mounting the device in the basin and a further modified form of perforated clothes engaging member is employed;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation partly in section of a further modified form of the invention in which the clothes en gaging member is mounted in such a way as not only to reciprocate but also to oscillate rotationally during reciprocation; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on a line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring now to Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, my novel clothes washer in portable form is indicated generally by the numeral 1t) and is shown set in a washbasin or bathtub 12 which may be of any size or shape. The washer itself comprises a waterproof electric motor 14 on which is mounted a handle 16 for convenience in carrying. Attached to the shaft of the motor is a downwardly depending drive shaft i6 to the bottom of which is keyed an impeller 18 for circulating the water in the tub. The motor 14 is mounted on vertical rods 2b, the bottom ends of which are held by nuts 22 to a hollow cylindrical supporting member 24 formed of sheet metal or any other suitable material. As best seen in Fig. 2, there are mounted on the bottom of the member 24 three suction cups 26 by means of mounting screws 28 for holding the machine fast to the bottom of a basin or tub to prevent accidental upsetting.

The vertical shaft 16 is provided with a reverse slotted spiral cam 30 in which rides a cam follower 32 to which is attached a spider 34 having arms to the outer ends of which is affixed the generally cylindrical hollow perforated clothes engaging member 36. The member 36 is perforated with numerous openings 33 for the admission of wash or rinse water as hereinafter described. The base of the supporting member 24 is provided with a circular opening 40 at its center through which protrudes the lower end of the shaft 16 and beneath which operates the impeller 1S for drawing liquid from within the members 24 and 36 and forcing it outwardly along the bottom of the container 12 in radial fashion. The washer member 36 is provided with a series of annular ribs 42 between which are located the openings 38 and the -lower surfaces of these ribs constitute surfaces for pushing the clothes downwardly with each stroke of the washer.

ln the operation of this embodiment of the invention the device may be set in any suitable available container such as the wash-basin in a bathroom, the bathtub, or a washtub, or, indeed, even an ordinary pail. The clothes washer rests on the suction cups 26 which attach them- 4 .Y elves to the bottom surface of the tub and prevent accidental dislodging. Preferably the clothes washer is mounted in the center of the container, leaving an equal space between the basket 36 and the container walls. The clothes are placed in the container, preferably being spread evenly around the outer periphery of the basket, but if not so spread they will quickly arrange themselves uniformly once the machine is operating, and water and a quantity of detergent added.

l have found that the water level for best results will vary with the quantity of clothes being Washed. Therefore, it is desirable to start the washer while the water is being admitted to -the basin and the latter filled until a strong suction effect is noted within the 'members 36 and 24. The washer appears to operate at? maximum efficiency under these conditions, and its elciency may be somewhat reduced by `adding too much water.

When the motor 14 is operating, the impeller 18 will revolve and force a strong radially directed current of water outwardly between the suction cups 26 and along the botto-m of the container, as shown by the arrows. At the same time, the ca m follower 32 will ride up and down in the spiral cam 30, thus causing-vertical reciprocation of the basket' 36. The impeller 18 quickly empties practically all the wash water within the members 36 and 24, whereupon the external liquid immediately begins cascading through the openings 38 to replace the water which has been pumped out. Some of the garments may block some of the openings 38, but if the tub is not overloaded and the liquid level adjusted to achieve maximum suction, there will always be some free openings and in consequence in the areas above the bottom of the member 24 the wash water will pour radially inwardly through the member 36 from all sides. Clothes floating in the water are thus rapidly carried by the -converging stream toward the reciprocating washer member and individually are rubbed by the movement of this member while portions thereof will be pushed, exed and rolled downwardly at each stroke toward 4the current of water being emitted by the impeller.

It will be readily apparent that the movement of the liquid toward the washer is due not to any effect produced by the outwardly moving current from the impeller or the shape of the tub, but rather by the suction effect caused by continually exhausting liquid from with'-y in the members 24 and 36. Under these conditions it will be seen that the circulation of the water and consequent motion of the garments will occur when the unit is operating in a container of 'any size or shape and indeed even in a container of infinite size. Since no reliance is had upon the size or shape 'of the tub, the washer is completely divorced from any tub and may be sold as a self-contained light, portable, inexpensive unit to be used in any suitable wash-basin.

Referring now to Fig. 3, a slightly modified form of the invention is shown. ln place of the ribbed perfor-ated cylindrical washing member shown in Fig. l, l have sub# stituted a simil-arly shaped wire mesh basket 36a whose` discontinuous side wall performs the same function as the ribs 42 in engaging and pushing the adjacent clothes downwardly, while permitting cascading Vof thewater v therethrough. At the same time I have substituted 'for the impeller 18 a vertically Vreciprocating force pump 44 comprising a disc-like piece of flexible material such as rubber, moving with'the basket member `to force the water downwardly through a series -of openings 46 in the bottom of the supporting member 24a. Onthe upward stroke, as indicated by the broken lines, thepunip` ing `member yields and does not force the wateropwardly, whereas on the down s-troke it is pressed by the water against a perforated vannular support 48, thereby forcing Ithe liquid downwardly V:as a single acting force pump and emptying the container 24a. Y

The embodiment of Fig. 3 functions in virtually the same manner as that of Figsv 1 and 2 except that the output liquid stream of the force pump is intermittent instead of continuous. But in this case, as in the previous, the washing action will proceed independently of size or shape of container, and -the eiciency of washing is comparable to the best commercial automatic washers.

In Fig. 4 I have shown `still a further modification in which the perforated washer member 3617` is provided with a series of receding downwardly facing annular steps 50 of decreasing radius ytoward the bott-om. Likewise, I have shown a deiiecting skirt or apron 52 extending in such a way as to coniine the stream of `liquid forced outwardly by the impeller 18 to -a narrow area. In the case of Fig. 4 the support 24b is provided with 'a perforated bottom plate 54 resting upon a ring 56 of rubber or the like which in turn supports the machine in the bottom of the basin. Here the suction for holding the machine upright is provided by the action of the iim-peller which tends to draw liquid not only from within the member 24b but also through the openings 58 in the plate 54 from the zone beneath -the machine and within the sealing ring 56. The suction thus caused holds the washing unit firmly and p-revents accidental overturning.

The shape of the washer member 36b in Fig. 4 affords in some cases an improved downward rubbing Iand pushing action against the articles being washed. Each over- 'hanging portion or step 50 engages the adjacent clothes and tucks them downwardly toward the stream of water emitted by the impeller beneath the apron 52.

Turning now to Figs. 5 and 6, still a further modilication of the invention is illustrated wherein the supporting rods 29a, corresponding to the rods 20 in Fig. l, have been twisted and the arms of the spider 34a are provided with openings 35 to accommodate the rods and be guided thereby for rotationally oscillating the clothes engaging member 36C as it reciprocates vertically. This twisting alternately in opposite directions of the washer member I have found may in some cases improve the washing action While at the same time it tends to cause the clothes to rotate slowly about the washer. Except for the twisted guides for the basket 36C inducing rota- -tional oscillation, the `embodiment of Figs. 5 and 6 operates in substantially the same way as the previously described embodiments.

All the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings operate upon the same novel principle already described in detail. The operator will nd that diiferent results may be achieved with wash water at different levels. Furthermore, the results wi-ll differ depending upon the quantity of clothes being washed. For most .efficient action the proportion of clothes to water should '.be high, since, under such conditions, portions of the garments are always in engagement with the outer surface ofthe washer member 36 while the remaining clothes are swirling outwardly in the water. In some cases with a somewhat reduced charge of clothing, all the garments Will first swirl in the water land then all be drawn against the reciprocating washer member 36 and thereafter swirled again in alternation.

It has been my experience that the frequency and am plitude of vertical reciprocation of the washer member 36 in all forms of the invention may be varied within wide limits. Likewise, the dimensions may be chosen for convenience and economy. Generally speaking, the amplitude must be increased when the frequency is lowered. I have found that a machine constructed in accordance with the embodiment of Fig. l will operate very successfully at a frequency of 300 complete cycles per minute with an amplitude of approximately 1% inches. The frequency, however, may be lower and considerably higher, the amplitude being varied accordingly. These adjustments are within the skill of mechanics working in this art and there do not appear to be critical limits.

A feature of considerable importance is the selective action of the washer member 36 in operating uponeach garment or successive areas of larger articles individually.

Thus every portion of each garment or article is bent, rubbed, and squeezed, and the circulation of such articles follows a pattern of selective presentation to the washer surface.

It should be pointed out that my vertically reciprocating washer member 36 of Fig. l (and 36a, 36b, and-36C of the remaining iigures) is in no sense an agitator as that term is used with reference to conventional washing machines. The motion of this washer member, as such, has no substantial effect upon the circulation of the water and is not designed to agitate in the conventional manner a body of clothes and water. Instead, its function is to scrub, bend, and furnish a surface against which each garment is squeezed by the weight of the water seeking to cascade through the openings 38 While on each downward stroke its surface engages portions of the articles being washed, pushing or tucking them downwardly toward the outwardly directed stream induced by the pump at the bottom of the unit.

The clothes washer is particularly useful to persons living in crowded quarters or operating on a limited budget where it is desired to save the cost of sending clothes to a commercial laundry and yet where a large automatic washer is beyond the reach of the pocketbook or exceeds the floor space of the establishment. Likewise, the clothes washer will be found very convenient for the traveler who stops in hotels or overnight cabins and would like to do his own washing, the machine being light and compact for easy packing and transporting.

As illustrating the convenience and usefulness of my novel washer in its portable form, I have found that the machine ca-n be placed in an ordinary wash-basin at home or a small washtub and will handle at one washing a number of bath-towels, together with a quantity of small garments. It is ideal for fragile womens wear such as the housewife customarily does by hand and leaves her free to attend to other matters while the washing proceeds. The operator need only ill the basin to the proper level, add soap and throw in the clothes and then go about other activities, returning later to empty the water and refill fOr one or more rinses. If desired, the washing operation may be made almost completely automatic by starting off with a good quantity of soapsuds but leaving the hot vwater turned on slightly so that dirty water and scum will continuously discharge through the overiiow outlet of the basin. The water thus gradually becomes clean, and washing and rinsing will have been performed in a single operation without any attention.

While I have disclosed and described embodiments of the invention which are particularly adaptable to portability, it will, nevertheless, be understood that a clothes washer unit according to the invention may be mounted permanently in its own tub. In such case, from what has been said, it is clear that the successful operation of the washer in no way depends upon the size or shape of the tub in which it is permanently mounted. However, such permanent mounting makes available the novel washing action of my washer in a semi or fully automatic machine. Such an installation naturally would be more expensive and lack the numerous advantages of portability but at the same time would yield the benefits of automatic operation.

While a number of differently shaped vertically reciprocating washer members have been illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood that such member may have various other forms and yet operate according to the principle of the invention. Furthermore, it is clear that the driving motor 14 need not be mounted at the top of the unit but might with equal effect be mounted elsewhere, such as at the bottom, in which event it should be of completely waterproof construction. Likewise, in permanent installations of the washer in its own tub the driving means may be mounted elsewhere in the machine with suitable driving connections. While the novel apparatus of the invention has been described as applied 7 specifically to the washing of clothes, it is nevertheless clear that its improved scrubbing, circulating, pumping, and flexing action may be found highly useful for other purposes, as wherever it is desirable to process, treator impregnate pliable materials with a liquid or other fluent mixture. Accordingly, the words wash, washer, ;.washing, or the like, as used herein, and in the claims are intended to include everysuch use which may be made of the novel apparatus of the invention. Therefore, it will be understood that the invention is subject to various modications and changes which may occur to persons skilled in the art, yet nevertheless within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A washing device for use in a tub to contain liquid and articles to be washed, comprising, in combination, a hollow member having an external article engaging surface, meansfor supporting Vthe same in the tub, said member being open at least at that side thereof which faces the bottom of the tub and being provided over a substantial portion of said surface with a multiplicity of openings, driving mechanism mounted in driving connection to said hollow member for imparting movement thereto such that the movement of said surface includes a downward component of motion, pump means mounted in operative relation to the interior of said hollow member and arranged to withdraw liquid therefrom and to expel it into the tub beneath the periphery of said open side thereof, the cross-sectional area of said hollow member throughout the remaining portion thereof being at least as great as the cross-sectional area of the portion thereof adjacent said open side and the action of said pump means causing liquid from the tub to cascade inwardly through said openings to replace the expelled liquid and at the same time to carry the articles towards said hollow member and press portions of the articles against said article engaging surface.

2. A washing device for use in a tub to contain liquid and articles to be washed, comprising, in combination, a hollow article engaging member having at least one open side, means for supporting the same in the tub with said open side facingina vertical direction, said member being provided over a substantial portion of its immersed surface with a multiplicity of openings, driving mechanism mounted in driving connection to said article engaging member for imparting up and down reciprocating movement thereto,A pump means mounted in operative relation to the interior of said article engaging member and arranged to withdraw liquid therefrom and to expel it into the tub over the periphery of said open side thereof, the cross-sectional area of said article engaging member throughout the balance of its length being at least as great as the cross-sectional area of the portion thereof adjacent said open side and the action of said pump means causing liquid from the tub to cascade inwardly through said openings to replace the expelled liquid and at thev same time to carry the articles towards said article engaging member and press portions of the `articles against the outer surface thereof, portions of said surface being adapted to engage the articles intcontact therewith and push them vtowards the output stream of the pump Vmeans during movement of said article engaging member towards said stream.

p3.l lA washing device for use in a tub to contain liquid and articles to be washed, comprising, in combination, a hollow article engaging member having at least one open side, means for supporting the same in upright position in said Ytub with its said open side facing and spaced from the bottom of the tub, said member being provided over a substantial portion of its immersed surface'with a multiplicity of openings and being throughout of cross-sectional area at least as great as the crosssec'tional area of its lower side, driving mechanism mounted in driving connection to said article Yengaging member for imparting upy and down reciprocating movement thereto, pump means mounted with its intake in communication with the interior of said article'engaging member and arranged to withdraw liquid therefromv and'having its'outlet so disposed as to expel such liquid linto the tub beneath the periphery of the lower side vof said article engaging member, and the action of ysaid pump means causing'liqui'd from the tub to cascade inwardly through said openings to replace the expelled liquid and at the same time to carry the articles towards said article engaging member and press portions of the articles against the outer surface thereof, portions of said surface being adapted to engage the articles in contact therewith and push them downwardly towards the output stream of the pump means on each down stroke of said article engaging mem ber. 1

4. A Washing device for use in a tub to contain liquid and articles to be washed, comprising, in combination', a' hollow article engaging member having at least one open side, means for supporting the same in upright position in said tub with said open side facing and spaced from the bottom of the tub, said member being provided over a 4substantial portion of its immersed surface with a multiplicity of openings and being throughout of crosssectional area at least as great as the cross-sectional area of its lower side, driving mechanism including a vertically arranged drive shaft Within said article engaging member mounted in driving connection to said member for imparting up and down reciprocating movement thereto and an electric motor in driving connection to said shaft, pump means mounted with its intake in communication with the interior of said article engaging member and arranged to withdraw liquid therefrom and having its outlet so disposed as to expel such liquid into the tub beneath the periphery of the lower side of said article engaging member, and the action of said pump means causing liquid from the tub to cascade inwardly through said openings to replace the expelled liquid and at the same time to carry the articles towards the article engaging member and press portions of the articles against the outer surface thereof, portions of said surface being adapted to engage the articles in contact therewith and push them downwardly towards the output stream of the pump means on each down stroke of said article engaging memberl 5. A device in accordance with claim 4 in which said article engaging member is provided with external vertically spaced ribs adapted to engage the articles of clothing and force them downwardly toward the output stream of said pump means,

` 6. A device in accordance with claim 4 in which said article engaging member comprises a wire mesh basket.

7. A device in accordance with claim 4, including spirally arranged stationary guides mounted on said device and following members fixed to said article engaging member and slidably held on said guides to cause said article engaging member to oscillate about a vertical axis during its vertical reciprocation. 'i

"8. A washing device for use in a tub to contain liquid andarticles to be washed, comprising, in combination,

a hollow article engaging member having at least one open side, means for supporting the same in upright position in said tubV with said open side facing and spaced from the bottom of the tub, said member being provided over a substantial portion of its immersed surface with a multiplicity of openings and being throughout of crosssectional area'at least as great as the cross-sectional area of its lower side, driving mechanism including a vertically arranged drive shaft within said article engaging member mounted in driving connection to said member for imparting up and down reciprocating movement thereto and an electric motor in driving connection to said shaft, said driving connection comprising a reverse spiral cam carried by said shaft and a follower engaging said cam and connected to said article engaging member, pump means mounted with its intake in communication with the interior of said article engaging member and arranged to withdraw liquid therefrom and having its outlet so dis- 'posed as to expel such liquid into the tub beneath the periphery of the lower side of said article engaging member, and the action of said pump means causing liquid from the tub to cascade inwardly through said openings to replace the expelled liquid and at the same time to carry the articles towards said article engaging member and press portions of the articles against the outer surface thereof, portions of said surface being adapted to engage the articles in contact therewith and push them downwardly towards the output stream of the pump means on each down stroke of said article engaging member.

9. A washing device for use in a tub to contain liquid and articles to be washed, comprising, in combination, a hollow article engaging member open at vopposite sides, means for supporting the same in upright position in said tub with one open side facing and spaced from the bottom of the tub, said member being provided over a substantial portion of its immersed surface with a multiplicity of openings and being throughout of cross-sectional area at least as great as the cross-sectional area of its lower side, driving mechanism including a vertically arranged drive shaft within said article engaging member mounted in driving connection to said member for imparting up and down reciprocating movement thereto andan electric motor in driving connection to said shaft, pump means mounted with its intake in communication with the interior of said article engaging member and arranged to withdraw liquid therefrom and having its outlet so disposed as to expel such liquid into the tub beneath the periphery of the lower side of said article engaging member, said pump means comprising an impeller mounted on the lower end of said drive shaft, the action of said impeller causing liquid from the tub to cascade inwardly through said openings to replace the expelled liquid and at the same time to carry the articles towards the article engaging member and press portions of the articles against the outer surface thereof, portions of said surface being adapted to engage the articles in contact therewith and push them downwardly towards the output stream of said impeller on each down stroke of said article engaging member.

l0. A washing device for use in a tub to contain liquid and articles to be washed, comprising, in combination, an elongated hollow article engaging member open at one end, means for supporting the same in upright position in said tub with said end facing and spaced from the bottom of the tub, said member being provided over a substantial portion of its immersed surface with a multiplicity of openings and being throughout of cross-section area at least as great as the cross-sectional area of said end, driving mechanism including a vertically arranged drive shaft within said article engaging member mounted in driving connection to said member for imparting up and down reciprocating movement thereto and an electric motor in driving connection to said shaft, pump means mounted with its intake in communication with the interior of said article engaging member and arranged to withdraw liquid therefrom and having its outlet so disposed as to expel such liquid into the tub beneath the periphery of said end of said article engaging member, said pump means comprising a force pump connected to said article engaging member, the action of said pump causing liquid from the tub to cascade inwardly through said openings to replace the expelled liquid and at the same time to carry the articles towards said article engaging member and press portions of the articles against the outer surface thereof, portions of said surface being adapted to engage the articles in contact therewith and push them downwardly towards the output stream of said pump on each down stroke of said article engaging member.

11. A washing device for use in a tub to contain liquid and articles to be washed, comprising, in combination,

an elongated hollow article engaging member open at least at one end, means for supporting the same in up,` right position in said tub with said end facing and spaced from the bottom of the tub, said member being provided over a substantial portion of its immersed surface with a multiplicity of openings and being throughout of crosssectional area at least as great as the cross-sectional area of said end, driving mechanism including a vertically arranged drive shaft within said article engaging member mounted in driving connection to said member for imparting up and down reciprocating movement thereto and an electric motor in driving connection to said shaft, a hollow stationary member within said article engaging member and surrounding the lower portion of said shaft, supports carried by said stationary member supporting said shaft and motor, said stationary member being open at the top and having at least one aperture at the bottom for the egress of liquid, pump vmeans mounted to draw liquid through said aperture from within said stationary member and to expel it into the tub beneath the periphery of said end of said article engaging member, and the action of said pump means causing liquid from the tub to cascade inwardly through said openings to replace the expelled liquid and at the same time to carry the articles toward said article engaging member and press portions of the articles against the outer surface thereof, portions of said surface being adapted to engage the articles in contact therewith and push them downwardly towards the output stream of said pump means on each down stroke of said article engaging member.

l2. A washing device for use in a tub to contain liquid and articles to be washed, comprising, in combination, a hollow article engaging member having at least one open side, which when the device is mounted in the tub assumes an upright position in said tub with said open side facing and spaced from the bottom of the tub, said member being provided over a substantial portion of its immersed surface with a multiplicity of openings and being throughout of cross-sectional area at least as great as the cross-sectional area of said open side, driving mechanism including a vertically arranged drive shaft within said article engaging member mounted in driving connection to said member for imparting up and down reciprocating movement thereto and an electric motor in driving connection to said shaft, a hollow stationary member within said article engaging member and surrounding the lower portion of said shaft, supports carried by said stationary member supporting said shaft and motor, said stationary member being open at the top, having at least one liquid admitting aperture in its bottom, and having liquid outlet openings in its side walls, said outlet openings being below the periphery of said open side of said article engaging member, and an annular sealing ring attached to the bottom of said stationary member andI adapted to rest on the bottom of said tub to seal off said liquid admitting openings, pump means mounted to expel l1qu1d from within said stationary member outwardly `through said liquid outlet openings, the action of said pump means causing liquid from the tub to cascade inwardly through the openings in said article engaging member to replace the expelled liquid and at the same time to carry the articles towards the article engaging member and press portions of the articles against the outer surface thereof, portions of said surface being adapted to engage the articles in contact therewith and push them downwardly towards the output stream of said pump means on each down stroke of said article engaging member.

13. A washing device for use in a tu'b to contain liquid and articles to be washed, comprising, in combination, a hollow generally cylindrical article engaging member open at both ends, which when the device is mounted in the tub assumes an upright posi-tion with one open end facing and spaced from the bottom of the tub and is provided over a substantial portion of its immersed surface with a multiplicity of openings, a vertically arranged drive shaft within said article engaging member, an electric motor in 'driving connection to said shaft, a hollow stationary supporting member having openings in its top and bottom and an imperforate cylindrical side wall surround'- ing the lower portion of said drive shaft, supporting elements affixed to the bottom of said stationary member arranged to support said device on the bottom of said tub, supports extending upwardly from said supporting member mounting said motor above said article engaging member, said drive shaft depending from said motor and being supported thereby, said drive shaft carrying a reverse spiral cam, a cam follower holding said article engaging member and riding in said cam so that operation of said shaft will impart up and down reciprocating movement to said article engaging member, said article engaging member surrounding said motor at least in part on the up stroke, and an impeller mounted on the lower end of said shaft and arranged to draw liquid through the bottom opening in said stationary member and to expel it into the tub beneath the periphery of the lower endV of said article engaging member, the action of said impeller causing liquid from the tub to cascade inwardly through the openings in said article engaging member and the top of said stationary member-to replace the expelled liquid and at the same time to carry the articles towards the article engaging member and press portions of the articles against the outer surface thereof, portions of said surface being adapted to engage the articles in contact therewith and push them downwardly towards the output stream of said impeller on each down stroke of said article engaging member. v

14. A washing device for use in a tub to contain liquid and articles to be washed, comprising, in combination, a hollow generally cylindrical article engaging member open at least at one end and provided with projections of progressively smaller diameter toward said end, means for supporting said member in upright position in said tub with said end facing and spaced from the bottom of the tub, said member being provided over a substantial. portion of its immersed cylindrical surface with a multiplicity of openings, driving mechanism mounted in driving con.- nection to said article engaging member for imparting up and down movement thereto, pump means mounted with its intake in communication with the interior of said article engaging member and arranged to withdraw liquid therefrom and having its outlet so disposed as to expel such liquid into the tub beneath the periphery of said end of said article engaging member, and the action of said pump means causing liquid from the tub to cascade in- A adapted to engage the articles in contact therewith and K push them downwardly towards the output stream of said pump means on each down stroke of said article engaging member, and stream confining plate means mounted adjacent said outlet. .A t

15. A washing device for use in a tub to contain liquid and articles to be washed, comprising, in combination, a hollow generally cylindrical article engaging member open at least at one end and being stepped inwardly to provide portions of progressively smaller diametertoward said end, said member when the device is mounted in the tub assuming an upright position with said end facing and spaced from the bottom of the tub and being provided over a substantial portion of its immersed surface with a multiplicity of openings, a vertically arranged drive shaft within said article engaging member, an electric Vr'notor'in driving connection to said shaft, a stationarysupport's'ur.- rounding the lower portion of said drive shaft, Vmounting means affixed to said stationary support arranged to support said device on the bottom of the tub, rodsextending upwardly from said support mounting saidmotor, said drive shaft 'depending from said motor and carrying a reverse spiral cam, a cam follower holding'said article engaging member and riding in said cam so that rotation of said shaft will impart up and down movement'fto said article engaging member, an impeller mounted on the lower end of said shaft having its intake arranged to draw liquid from within said article engaging member and hav-A ing its outlet so disposed as to expel such liquid into the tub beneath the periphery of said end of said article engaging member, the action of said impeller causing liquid from the tub to cascade inwardly through the openings in said article engaging member to replace the expelled liquid andat the same time to carry the articles towards the article engaging member and press portions yof the articles against the outer surface thereof, the inwardly stepped portions of said article engaging member being adapted to engage the articles in contact therewith and push them downwardly towards said outlet on each down stroke of said article engaging member, and stream confining plate means attached to said support adjacent said outlet.

References Cited in the le of this patent` UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 16, 1943YV 

